California man gets 15 years in prison for molesting local girl

Syracuse, NY - A California man was sentenced today to 15 years in state prison for sexually molesting a local girl for more than four years.

David Burgos, 45, of Riverside, claimed he was innocent and the case against him was “all based on lies.” A state Supreme Court jury, however, recently convicted Burgos of first-degree course of sexual conduct against a child, a Class B felony punishable by up to 25 years in state prison, and endangering the welfare of a child.

Assistant District Attorney Melinda McGunnigle asked for the maximum penalty but Justice John Brunetti sentenced Burgos to 15 years instead.

Burgos said he felt sorry for what the victim was going through, adding, “but I had nothing to do with it.”

McGunnigle read aloud in court a written statement from the victim in which the girl wrote of struggling some days to get out of bed and to leave her home because of what had happened to her. The victim called Burgos a “cold-hearted monster” and added she wanted him to know that he was in prison because she had put him there.

Burgos was accused of molesting the girl from Sept. 1, 2001, through Jan. 3, 2006. McGunnigle said the victim was 8 when the abuse started and Burgos had moved to California by the time the victim revealed what had happened.

The prosecution had been delayed because Burgos had been seriously injured in a motorcycle accident in California and had not been able to be brought back to Syracuse to face the charges. He was still on crutches as he stood before Brunetti for sentencing today.